UAE business setup summary

Multiple world-class free zones operate in UAE, making the country a booming industrial hub;

The absence of personal taxation and world-class infrastructure are also great incentives to form a business in the UAE;

UAE offers foreign investors a strong political stability in an unstable region of the World;

Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the undisputed financial centers of the Middle East.

Press the link headings below to read detailed, relevant, up to date information.

Benefits and problems

Benefits of UAE company registration

The UAE is the preferred destination for the foreign investment in the Middle East because:

UAE ranks 17th in the world in the Global Competitiveness Index and number one in the Arab Word with the best business environment and infrastructure;

The country has the 2nd largest economy in the Arab World, with its GDP having grown 231 times since 1971. This has been the result of the country’s extensive oil reserves, its growth as a transport and aviation hub and its liberal business environment;

The two major financial centers, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are both located in the Middle East and provide offshore facilities that are major attractions for foreign capital;

Despite offering lucrative tax advantages, United Arab Emirates is not blacklisted as a tax haven by either the OECD or the FATF;

With the preparations for the Dubai Expo 2020 underway, the country’s economic growth is expected to accelerate and spur business development.

An offshore company can be 100% foreign owned and only requires one director of any nationality who must not be resident in UAE;

The entity is 100% exempt from taxation on international business activity and income. Additionally, no auditing is required;

This entity provides higher level of confidentiality as directors, shareholders and UBOs are not disclosed to the public;

Registering an offshore company is fast and straight forward and all corporate documents can be provided in English.

Other aspects that make United Arab Emirates attractive for setting up a new business include:

UAE has a high demand for foreign goods and services and thereby has the highest per capita incomes in the Middle East;

UAE is establishing world class industrial zones through economic diversification with priority given to petrochemicals, building materials, chemical industries, metal industries, food industries, oil and gas services, and transportation sectors;

It is cost-effective and easy to recruit foreign employees from all over the globe due to the country’s liberal labour policies;

The country permits foreign ownership of properties, is home to perfectly organized infrastructure and exhibits very minimal crime rates.

The economy of UAE is a pro-immigrant and business-friendly economy

There are no limits on the number of employment visas that a company can procure to hire its foreign employees. Moreover, the recruitment process of foreign workers is quite simple and hassle-free;

A wide range of business activities are available for which licenses can be procured easily;

The services sector is fairly advanced and supports the growth of international trade through global merchant accounts, and other sophisticated financial instruments.

Post adoption of the common tariff for GCC countries, custom duties are now 5% of the CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) value of majority of the products;

Office spaces are readily available mostly anywhere along with benefit of flexible rent.

Problems with UAE company registration

Our Clients setting up and operating businesses in the UAE stand to encounter challenges because:

Each Emirate and Free Zone within the UAE has its own corporate laws that govern company setup process that can be complex and time consuming;

Setting up a local limited liability company in mainland Dubai requires mandatory 51% UAE national shareholding and thereby cannot be wholly foreign owned;

Operating a company in the UAE can be very costly due to high business setup costs and demanding rental requirements and costs;

The government tenders favor UAE nationals and companies with UAE nationals. Disputes with shareholders and agents cause serious problems for foreign investors. For example, Abu Dhabi courts can impose precautionary restraint on company assets pending the adjudication of a commercial dispute.

Free Zone companies are only license to operate within the Free Zone boundaries and may not transact elsewhere in the UAE;

Trading companies registered in the Free Zone must appoint a local agent or distributor in order to trade their products within the country;

Free Zone companies must appoint a locally approved audit firm before commencement of activity within the Free Zone;

Different Free Zones impose i) minimum requirements for office and warehouse space and ii) restrict the number of employment visas per space;

While incorporating in the Free Zone, our Clients will be required to comply with national laws, emirate laws and individual Free Zone laws which can be highly complicated and cumbersome.

Other limitations that our Clients establishing their business in the UAE stand to encounter include:

Majority of visas and licenses filed on behalf of the company can only be sponsored by UAE nationals;

The UAE offshore company can neither trade products or provide services within the country, nor rent local premises;

Share capital must be deposited before the business registration process is complete. Healy Consultants will arrange for the share capital to be lodged into a resident bank, which will issue a certificate confirming the same. This certificate is presented as part of the incorporation process;

Depending on the Emirate and type of activity, the business license registration process in UAE can often take up to 6 months to complete.

UAE does not have a high quality of human capital due to its poor primary and tertiary education levels as well as poor health service facilities for its workers

87% of Emirati nationals work in either government or semi-government organisations;

The nation got 37th rank in terms of its competitiveness in higher education and training on the 2018 Global Competitiveness Index.

Best uses for a UAE company

Gateway to the Middle East and Africa

A UAE incorporation allows foreign entrepreneurs to tap into the lucrative and growing markets of the Middle Eastern and African (MEA) region. Emirates like Dubai and Sharjah boast highly developed infrastructure, making the country a perfect distribution center for trading companies;

Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the most business-friendly cities in the MEA region. In addition to a world class infrastructure, favourable business regulations as well as an open and politically stable economy, these cities have highly liberal trading policies with no quotas or barriers to discourage foreign investments. Furthermore, companies in these emirates enjoy a highly favorable image across the globe.

Regional headquarters

Foreign investors can start a new tax-exempt company in UAE that allows them to collect proceeds from subsidiaries incorporated within the MEA region;

The UAE is the most livable country in the Middle East, at the confluence of East and West. Liberal laws along with first-class work, residential infrastructure and low taxes have made the country highly attractive for foreign businesses;

According to the World Economic Forum’s 2017 – 2018 Global Competitiveness Rankings, UAE has been ranked as the 4th best in infrastructure, 7th best for its macroeconomic environment and overall as the world’s 3rd best for having an efficient goods market. Hence, a UAE resident company can serve as a regional distribution headquarters for our Clients.

Tell us what you need - we’ll send you a customised proposal in 5 hours!

To help us engineer the optimum UAE corporate structure, please complete the 3-minute questionnaire below; then press the submit button below.

This data remains confidential and is not sold to third-parties.

Within 5 hours, one of our senior staff will ring or email you:

Company purpose?

Will the LLC be a trading company or a holding company?Will the entity be a subsidiary of a foreign company?The LLC will be tax resident? Having local customers and local staff and local suppliers?The entity will receive investment income or professional services fees or sales from trading with multi-national customers?Is double taxation treaty access important?Do you need our help to legally minimize your international tax obligations?Do you need our help to increase e-commerce sales (click link)?

Company structure?

Will the shareholders be individuals or corporate?In what country do you require a corporate bank account? Refer to this web page (click link) for ideasDo you need multi-currency corporate visa debit cards?Do you need a resident director?Nationality of shareholders and directors?Expected annual sales and net profits?Does the entity need a special regulatory license or import or export license?Additional comments?

Tell us about your existing business?

Name of your existing company?Your business web site address?What products and services does your company supply?How many years are you operating this business?Is your Firm regulated by a Government agency?In what country are the majority of your customers?In what country are the majority of your suppliers?

Tell us about you?

Your name?Your email address?What country are you based in?Specifically, what deliverables (click link) do you need?What is your US$ budget for the services you need?What does quality customer service mean to you?

How do we contact you?

For now, do you prefer Healy Consultants PLC staff to phone you, or just email reply you with some corporate solutions?If a phone call, on what number can our senior Consultant call you?If an email, what email address can our Consultant email you at?What is your preferred date and time for a phone call?In what language do you prefer we communicate with you?What matters would you like to discuss during the call; the agenda?

Thank you for taking the time to complete this important questionnaire. It will help us to timely complete your engagement with minimum inconvenience to you.

Please leave this field empty.

Read the Privacy Policy (click link)I acknowledge that I have read and understood the Privacy Policy, and consent to the collection, use and disclosure of my personal data by Healy Consultants Group PLC and/or Healy Consultants Pte. Ltd. for the purposes set out in the Notice.I want to receive helpful business information such as insights, success tips and how-to guidesNote: By clicking the above, you acknowledge that your information will be processed by MailChimp, our marketing platform. You can unsubscribe at any time through the footer link in our emails.

In the unfortunate case that the questionnaire cannot be submitted, please click on the "Export" button to download the PDF export with your form entries. You can submit this PDF document together with your request to us by email to email@healyconsultants.com. By exporting the form and ensuring the required fields are completed, you agree to the Privacy Policy and consent to the collection of your personal data above.

To help you and your family relocate to this country, please answer the following questions, then press the Send button at the bottom of the page.

Within 1 business day, our international migration expert Mr. Simon will ring you to discuss your migration plans.

To get a residence visa

What skills do you have? What family relatives are already there? Do you have friends already there? In what city do you plan to live? Do you need a job or will you start a new business? What US$ savings are you bringing with you? What family members will be accompanying you? Do you plan to purchase or rent local housing? If so, what is your US$ budget for this project? Do you need Healy Consultants to find a school for your children? Do you need Healy Consultants to assist finding employment for your spouse or children?

Tell us about you?

Where are you currently living? What is your nationality? Do you have a second passport? How old are you? How many years are you married? What is the nationality of your spouse? Do you have children? If so, how old are they? What is your current employment situation? What is your previous work experience? Are you currently the owner of a business? Are you currently the manager or the director of a business? What was your US$ annual income in 2016? Do you also plan to start a local business? If so, what is your US$ budget for this new business set up? If so, do you already have customers and suppliers in the country of registration of the business? If so, how many local staff do you plan to hire i) one month and ii) one year after business registration?

Your preferences

For now, do you prefer Healy Consultants PLC staff to phone you, or just email reply some visa solutions? If a phone call, on what number can our senior Consultant call you? If an email, what email address can our Consultant email you at? What is your preferred date and time for a phone call? In what language do you prefer Healy Consultants Group PLC to communicate with you?

Please leave this field empty.

Read the Privacy Policy (click link)I acknowledge that I have read and understood the Privacy Policy, and consent to the collection, use and disclosure of my personal data by Healy Consultants Group PLC and/or Healy Consultants Pte. Ltd. for the purposes set out in the Notice.I want to receive helpful business information such as insights, success tips and how-to guidesNote: By clicking the above, you acknowledge that your information will be processed by MailChimp, our marketing platform. You can unsubscribe at any time through the footer link in our emails.

In the unfortunate case that the questionnaire cannot be submitted, please click on the "Export" button to download the PDF export with your form entries. You can submit this PDF document together with your request to us by email to email@healyconsultants.com. By exporting the form and ensuring the required fields are completed, you agree to the Privacy Policy and consent to the collection of your personal data above.

Contact us

Testimonial

“Pirster Pte is happy with the work that Healy Consultants undertook for the company. International incorporation can be fraught with opacity, anxiety and vulnerability - especially if it is being done remotely as we did. Healy Consultants worked really hard to make it transparent, straight forward and confidence-inspiring. I look forward to working with Healey Consultants again on future work and happily recommend them to others.”

Fiona Thompson, Managing Director Pirster Pte.

“We had taken Healy Consultants assistance in incorporating our entities in some of the complicated jurisdictions. Their approach right from the beginning has been very systematic, clear and efficient. It has been a pleasure to work with all of them.”

“Thank you Healy Consultants for swiftly project managing my engagement. From the moment I met you in Singapore Healy Consultants attended to my requirements and specific needs. I am more than satisfied with your service. Moreover, your weekly updates allowed me to continue to focus my attention on my global business while trusting you to deliver as promised.”

“Thank you Healy Consultants, you were instrumental in setting up of my Hong Kong based company, the whole process was completed in a professional and timely manner.”

Terry Skews, CEO Brittany Offshore Limited

“Healy Consultants, a professionally managed firm with clear understanding and knowledge about what client expects from them and delivers the same in a professional and timely manner. Kudos to their team.”

“Incorporating any company is comparable to setting the foundation blocks of your new company building, which you aim to build in the best location available. By choosing Healy Consultants you are laying the perfect foundations.”

“The one word that defines Healy Consultants is perfect professionalism. If you have Healy to set up your business abroad, you could focus on the operational overhead and let Healy take care of the rest. From Incorporation to Taxation, it’s a one stop solution. Rest assured, you will have the best people in the Industry working for you and providing you with the best possible information and suggestions.”

Raja Chakraborty, Director Streamlyn Pte. Ltd.

“Thank you Healy Consultants for successfully project managing our business set up in Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar and Bahrain.”

“When it was time to establish a Space Academy in Singapore, TriVector needed a knowledgeable firm that could not only help us establish our infrastructure, but could also advise on the local and regional business climate. Healy was that firm, which is why we've been satisfied Healy Consultants for almost five years now.”

Timothy F Kauffman, CEO Trivector Services

“Finding the right partner was critical for VESL’s expansion in Asia and working with Healy Consultants has made this possible.”

“Healy Consultants were instrumental in the set up of our company. They have continued to provide exceptional support and advice over the years.”

Susan Gunnery, Managing Director Qudoss Group

“Healy Consultants is the best firm that we have ever worked with. Through our entire business relationship we were satisfied with provided level of quality and services. Healy Consultants have been responsive and detail oriented which has allowed us to stay focused on our business and not getting distracted with small details.”